foreignpolicy.com??
Hmmmm. Bit of a neocon rag in my opinion. I'd be careful what you believe in it.
Ok, how about the thoughts of Germany's outgoing Federal Minister of Finance Wolfgang Schäuble who is soon to become Speaker of the Bundestag....
"Mr Schäuble also welcomed plans to turn the EU into a more integrated bloc, with an EU army and a single tax system "
There is huge financial disparity within the EU, sharing a currency, sharing a tax system does the opposite of levelling things out, its a ball and chain around the lesser performing countries which will defeat them.
Contrary to previous claims that Brussels haven't interfered with the Catalan situation, they have. They have spoken to Catalonia and condemned their actions. Furthermore they are co-operating with Spain to put a financial squeeze on Catalonia which has already started. Brussels has also stated that if Catalonia was to become independent they would no longer be in the EU and have to negotiate entry from scratch - that is of course unnecessary, a transitional arrangement could be made without kicking EU citizens out of the EU.